Dearborn Heights is buying, then demolishing 15 homes in 'Ecorse Creek flood zone'

Brian and Deb Lauer meet with Mayor Dan Paletko to finalize the sale of their Hanover Street home to the City of Dearborn Heights.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – The city of Dearborn Heights is starting to buy houses in the "Ecorse Creek flood zone" so it can demolish them. 

According to the city, officials applied for a grant shortly after the August 2014 flood which affected homes adjacent to and around Ecorse Creek. The $2.8 million grant was approved last March, enabling the city to begin steps to negotiate the purchase of 15 homes along a stretch of Hanover Street, which the city said is one of the areas commonly and severely affected by Ecorse Creek flooding.

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From the city:

All homes purchased through this grant will be demolished, and the lots will be planted with natural wildflowers with extensive root systems that will help them serve as mini “detention basins” to help improve the absorption of flood waters during future incidents. Under the grant guidelines, homes must be demolished within 90 days of turning them over to the City’s ownership. 

The City anticipates the final purchase of 5 or 6 of the 15 homes will be completed by the spring of 2017. Some residents, while committing to the purchase of their homes, will choose to remain in them for some time yet. The City is hopeful the entire purchase/demolition project will be completed within 2 years.

Long-time Dearborn Heights residents Brian and Deb Lauer are the first of the bunch to sell their house to the city.

"We loved our home and neighborhood and will miss family and friends that were within walking distance. While this whole process is bittersweet, we are relieved that we were given an opportunity to move out of this flood prone area without taking a severe hit to our home value” said Deb Lauer in a news release. 

Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko said additional, longer-term and wider-reaching solutions have been proposed, and are now in the hands of the Federal Government and the Army Corps of Engineers for their review and approval.

"This is just one small step in the process to help reduce the inconvenience, pain and suffering experienced by our residents in this area," said Paletko. "But I’m confident it will make a positive impact for those who truly want to exercise the opportunity to relocate out of this flood zone."

Here is the Local 4 Dearborn Heights flooding story from August 12, 2014: